Justin Tucker is arguably the best kicker of all time, but even he’s got to prepare for the new kickoff rules.
NFL owners approved in a vote in March to adopt a new rule where every member of the coverage team (kicking team) aside from the kicker has to have one foot on the 40-yard line. The receiving team will have nine players on its own 35. Two men will line up downfield as returners. The kicker will still kick off from his own 35.
The kickoff team defenders are not permitted to move until the ball lands on the ground in the “landing zone” — inside the receiving team’s 20-yard line. If the ball lands short of the landing zone, the ball would be moved to the receiving team’s 40-yard line as if a kickoff sails out of bounds. Touchbacks would call for the ball to be moved to the receiving team’s 30.
Justin Tucker says he’s developing a new strategy and changing things up for the new Rules.
Just like a pitcher tries to develop his stuff, I’m doing the same thing out here trying to figure out whichever way we can in our minds gain an advantage, gain an edge.
Tucker said he’s noticed in XFL games that kickers have been involved in 25 percent of the tackles with the revamped kickoff play, sparking him to hit the weight room more.
This might be really surprising to a lot of you guys and a lot of my teammates because I don’t (tend) to hang out in the weight room too frequently,” Tucker said. “I’ve mixed it up a couple of times, I’ve gotten in there. But now I’ve got to get some more shrugs, get the traps going a little but you know just to make sure I’m prepared for a little more contact.”
“I have put on like 3.8 pounds. Can you guys tell? Probably not. I’ll leave it at that.
Robbie Gould has called Justin Tucker the GOAT kicker, during the Super Bowl media.
“Justin Tucker is probably the best kicker to ever play the game. He’s got a lot of intangibles of power and accuracy, which, you know, like I’m not a power guy. I was more of an accuracy guy … he had both, which is unique to see.”
Justin Tucker has also won an NFL Moment of the Year award, for his 66-yard field goal vs the Detroit Lions in a record-breaking kick in Week 3 of the 2021 season.
Ray Lewis handed Tucker the award and had this to say about Tucker.
When you talk about what goes into a big play, to me there’s always an element of you’ve got to be at the right place at the right time,” Tucker said. “Beyond that, you have to have the right people involved in that moment. For us, we’re not even thinking about attempting that field goal if it’s not for Lamar Jackson and Sammy Watkins and our offense getting us in position on fourth-and-19 with seconds left, we’re at the plus-48-yard line.”
